Avella wins re-election for state Senate District 11 seat

Incumbent candidate Tony Avella has officially been declared the winner in the race for the 11th state Senate District seat.

Avella served in the New York City Council before he was elected to the 11th state Senate District for the first time in 2010. This will be his fourth term in the seat.

Challenger Mark Cipolla, who ran under the Republican, Conservative and Reform parties, is a former prosecutor. Cipolla was endorsed by former state Senator Frank Padavan, whom Avella defeated for the same state Senate seat in 2010.

“I am honored to have received overwhelming landslide support from the district once again and to continue working on behalf of the community to improve the quality of life in Queens,” Avella told QNS.

“I thank the tens of thousands of people of our district who trusted me with their vote and my family and friends, old and new, who have worked tirelessly throughout the campaign,” Cipolla told QNS. “I am proud to have run a hard and honest campaign. While our efforts did not result in victory, they did cause Sen. Avella to have to work to secure his office.”